20th century piece by American composer

[rubinsteinmad]

Hi, I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for an American piece written by a 20th/21st century composer. When I say that, I mean a piece written by an American born after 1885.

For the piece, can it be pretty, and not too long(max 8 minutes)?  Thanks! That's really helpful!

For the definition "American", I mean someone who is internationally agreed to be an American composer. (Even though Tcherepnin and Rachmaninoff had American citizenship, they are internationally considered Russian composers, so I wouldn't choose a piece by them)


Thanks! YOU PIANISTS ARE SOOO HELPFUL! I"M GLAD YOU"RE ALL PIANISTS!

[worov]

Barber : Excursions

[michael_sayers]

Hi, I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for an American piece written by a 20th/21st century composer. When I say that, I mean a piece written by an American born after 1885.

For the piece, can it be pretty, and not too long(max 8 minutes)?  Thanks! That's really helpful!

For the definition "American", I mean someone who is internationally agreed to be an American composer. (Even though Tcherepnin and Rachmaninoff had American citizenship, they are internationally considered Russian composers, so I wouldn't choose a piece by them)


Thanks! YOU PIANISTS ARE SOOO HELPFUL! I"M GLAD YOU"RE ALL PIANISTS!

Hi Rubinsteinmad,

Maybe you can select something by John Carollo.

https://sites.google.com/site/johncarollocomposer/musical-compositions


Mvh,
Michael

[visitor]

Lits of great choices beyond the obvious ( ie Barbet , Grifes, etc)

Ellinor Remmick Warren considered neo romantic in slant ie like Barber Times
Her work along the shore ( suite type) is fantastic
Ie excerpts

I. Dark hills

Ii nocturne

Iii sea rhapsody

This was later orchestrated as the third movement of Warren's tone poem, "Along the Western Shore". Warren's love of the full tonal range of the symphony orchestra is readily apparent in this virtuosic piano piece, where one can readily imagine the restlessness of the sea, its surging waves breaking against a shore.

[visitor]

Else siegmeister
Three studies

Or here Is ex from American piano sonata ( no 1 )
Iii lusty and joyous

[visitor]

Bernstein wrote a lot for piano and really really well. Enjoyable pieces to play and listen to I have his complete works for piano scores an audio. Lots of variety
Anniversaries are a good place to start exploring

[visitor]

Like Warren Flagello was neo romantic at heart as had a more tonal aesthetic at a time wheni at of music world lost it's mind and was obsessing over the absurd complete rejection of traditional melodic and tonal constriction and lyricism
Cool étude in honor of Freddy
Homage a Chopin

I believe  his piano sonata deserves as much respect and study and praise as Barbers
You could excerpt a movement.  Very romantic In scale and in late romantic virtuosic feel

[visitor]

Another long time favorite
William grant still. Wrote a lot of great piano music , very interesting and impressive background ( especially his "training" )

Deseret Plantation suite for piano
Excerpt ( hymn )

Other ex of many pieces and variety of style

[visitor]

Of there is Carter ( highly respected and regarded and played somewhat fairly often in niche circles )

[j_menz]

Lits of great choices beyond the obvious ( ie Barbet , Grifes, etc)

Who is Barbet? Ken's friend?

[visitor]

Who is Barbet? Ken's friend?

ha! BARBER!

got me 

[visitor]

I do wonder if op even bothered a basic read/ search before asking.  i can't look for basic stuff without tripping over multiple options.  The american piano list is vast and varied. Hec for every one i post, i don't post several just because i don't like them. of those even avail to post a recording, i have several i don't because the audio is protected and i can only access via my database subscription.

oh well, let's keep going.

Florence Beatrice Price

Margaret Bonds

[visitor]

Edward Bland

etc etc....

[j_menz]

I do wonder if op even bothered a basic read/ search before asking.  i can't look for basic stuff without tripping over multiple options.  

Quite so.  My initial reaction was "Oh, good - someone going in an interesting direction". Then I had about a million ideas. And my laziness kicked in.

Perhaps OP would care to narrow the field by indicating a few indicative "a bit like" pieces.

[visitor]

Quite so.  My initial reaction was "Oh, good - someone going in an interesting direction". Then I had about a million ideas. And my laziness kicked in.

Perhaps OP would care to narrow the field by indicating a few indicative "a bit like" pieces.

I honestly think it's just that in younger unmotivated musicians today, there is no emphasis in their training and personal development to actually explore and appreciate literature beyond Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Debussy, etc rinse later repeat.

part of your 'practice' should include hours and hours of listening, visually reviewing scores, actually playing or trying to, and discovering personal tastes, strengths in styles and weaknesses, what you don't like, what you suck at but can improve, what you suck at and never will achieve, what you suck at and don't care to improve, etc. etc.

there is hundreds of saved hours of research available even here on ps if only a basic search would be done.  i only mainly reply because it forces me to review what i know, discover more for me, and keep me from forgetting about what i know and know about (use it or lose it right?)

[visitor]

I do wonder if op even bothered a basic read/ search before asking.  i can't look for basic stuff without tripping over multiple options.  The american piano list is vast and varied. Hec for every one i post, i don't post several just because i don't like them. of those even avail to post a recording, i have several i don't because the audio is protected and i can only access via my database subscription.

oh well, let's keep going.

Florence Beatrice Price

Margaret Bonds
fyi score is availabe by smp
"Piano Music Of Africa And The African Diaspora - Volume 4 (Advanced). Edited by William H. Chapman Nyaho. For solo piano. Piano Music of the African Diaspora. Advanced. Collection. 72 pages. Published by Oxford University Press (OU.9780193870024).
ISBN 9780193870024.
For solo piano. The fourth volume in this series includes seven advanced pieces that are longer in duration than those in the first three volumes, making them excellent options for recitals. These are wonderfully entertaining for both the listener and performer and will appeal to pianists looking for fun and expressive repertoire."

[j_menz]

discovering personal tastes,

Good God, man! Perish the thought. This is classical music. It's all about the canon! Confess: you're secretly an anarchist.



@OP - if this is all new ground to you, start with the following: Griffes, Gershwin (bonus points to anyone who can give me the link between those two), Barber, Copeland, Grofe,  Bernstein, Cage and Adams. Listen broadly. Pick any three and get back to us.

[rubinsteinmad]

I like Liebermann's Gargoyles III kind of. The only problem is that it's kind of unorthodox to play only the third movement in a competition.

I really like Leo Ornstein's Souvenir Melancolique from Lyric Fancies. It reminds me of  modern TV French-inspired erhu music  I don't know if others share the same opinion, though. Maybe it sounds very unpianistic? I don't know. Any opinions?

[visitor]

Good God, man! Perish the thought. This is classical music. It's all about the canon! Confess: you're secretly an anarchist.



@OP - if this is all new ground to you, start with the following: Griffes, Gershwin (bonus points to anyone who can give me the link between those two), Barber, Copeland, Grofe,  Bernstein, Cage and Adams. Listen broadly. Pick any three and get back to us.

Yes the secret is out
Viva la revolucion!
[img][https://www1.artflakes.com/artwork/products/641617/poster/cuba-bw-01.jpg?1316521800/img]

Still working musicology to get those bonus points!  I did learn about some interesting spats between Georgy ( or Geo as I like to call him sometimes) and Virgil Thompson

[cbreemer]

Rzewski's Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues